


the good side

by summerlabeouf



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner, the maze runner
Genre: A LOT of Angst, Angst, Arguing, Break Up, Crying, Did I mention angst, Hurt, M/M, Modern AU, bc im a slut for modern aus, but dumbass newt cant make time for tommy, idk just read it, im sorry guys, newt is too busy, or do they, they break up, thomas is hurt, thomas misses his bf like crazy, very angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 05:34:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14230416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerlabeouf/pseuds/summerlabeouf
Summary: It was the fourteenth of February. Four years since Newt and Thomas got together. And Newt was nowhere to be seen.He hadn’t been answering his phone or texts. Usually, this would alarm Thomas, but he already knew Newt was busy at some party organized by some of his business partners.Thomas tried to tell himself that it didn’t matter. It wasn’t a big deal. Newt always missed dates these days, be it completely forgetting or just ditching him. He tried to stay patient with the blonde.





	the good side

**Author's Note:**

> hiii tis Bri! a lot of angst in this one. just felt like writing some angst bc im an emo child. 
> 
> thanks for reading! im sorry if i hurt you HaHa

Thomas didn’t know when it started happening, but he realized that it was getting worse as the days passed. At first, it was tiny things. Newt came home an hour late than he usually did. Owning an art gallery wasn’t easy, especially when it was something he had inherited.

When his parents both passed away, they left him the business as part of their will. A car accident was what caused their untimely death, which threw Newt into the business out of the blue.

Before they had passed, Newt was just a normal employee, overseeing some sections of the gallery. He had never been too busy. Now, he had to oversee everything. There were suddenly more meetings to attend, more people to meet and more conferences to go to.

This was good for Newt, at least. It meant that he got a higher salary, had more control over the business and he kept himself busy and preoccupied. Grief wasn’t something Newt wanted to hold on to so distracting himself with work helped him cope with it.

Although things were going pretty well for Newt, it wasn’t for Thomas. He saw his boyfriend less and less every day, sometimes not seeing him at all. When the job first started getting busy, he didn’t mind. He was proud of Newt for being able to carry a business so well. In fact, he encouraged him to go for whatever deal Newt doubted. As three months passed, Thomas noticed Newt was gone for longer periods of time.

Newt even bought a studio apartment near the gallery so that it was more convenient for him.

It was the fourteenth of February. Four years since Newt and Thomas got together. And Newt was nowhere to be seen.

He hadn’t been answering his phone or texts. Usually, this would alarm Thomas, but he already knew Newt was busy at some party organized by some of his business partners.

Thomas tried to tell himself that it didn’t matter. It wasn’t a big deal. Newt always missed dates these days, be it completely forgetting or just ditching him. He tried to stay patient with the blonde.

_“Tommy? Shit, how long have you been waiting?”_

_Thomas woke up from his nap, rubbing his eyes as he tried to look at Newt properly._

_“Oh, you’re finally home,” Thomas yawned, sitting up on the sofa and stretching a little._

_The blonde guiltily sat down next to him, hundreds of apologies rolling out of him. His brown eyes were wide with sadness and stress. Shaking his head, Thomas leaned in and pressed a haste kiss onto Newt’s lips._

_“It’s okay, Newt, I know you’re busy,” Thomas reassured him._

_Despite that, Newt kept rambling on about how sorry he was and how he was such a bad boyfriend for coming home so late, especially on Date Night. Thomas shushed him as he took Newt’s hands into his own. He put their intertwined fingers up to his lips and kissed Newt’s knuckles. He knew this always calmed Newt down._

_“Listen, you’re not a bad boyfriend for doing your job. I get it, it’s fine. Alright? I love you,” Thomas reminded him, keeping his hands wrapped around his._

_Newt took a deep breath, nodding slowly._

_“Okay. Thank you, I don’t deserve you at all.”_

Pouring himself one more glass of wine, Thomas sulkily sipped it as he stood in front of the dresser.

On top of the wooden dresser, there were several photo frames. All of them held photos of the couple together. They were arranged according to the time they got together, the left had photos going back four years ago and the right had the photo taken six months before. That was one before his parents had passed. Happiness radiated off the picture as they had just bought their first home together.

_“Tommy, get in here. We have to take a photo!” Newt hollered, calling for his boyfriend. He stood in front of the large glass window, showcasing the busy city underneath them. It was already eleven at night, hence the sky was dark. However, the city was still alive with its twinkling lights decorating the skyline._

_The brunet bounded into the room excitedly and dropped the box he was holding gently onto the floor. He turned to the Asian beside him and grinned._

_“Come on, Park, put your photography skills to use,” Thomas joked to his best friend, holding the phone out for him._

_“I took the class one time,” Minho groaned exasperated. Still, he took the iPhone from Thomas and stepped away from the couple._

_“To impress Brenda,” Newt snorted._

_“Hey! It worked though!” the Asian defended, letting a triumphant smile reach his lips._

_Thomas shook his head with amusement and threw an arm around Newt’s shoulder. The other man snaked his arm around Thomas’s waist as they waited for Minho to get ready. Once Minho was ready to go with the camera, both men put on their best smiles._

_“Say Newtmas!” Minho sing-songed, holding the phone up._

_“Newtmas!” Newt and Thomas cheered simultaneously while trying not to laugh too much. Newt’s grip on Thomas’s waist tightened and he pressed his cheek against Thomas’s._

_Click!_

Thomas felt a pang of hurt hit his heart. The Newt then wouldn’t have ditched Thomas like this.

He heard the front door click open, already knowing who it was. The only people who had keys to the apartment were Newt and Thomas. For a second, Thomas thought about locking the bedroom door. He didn’t want to see Newt. If he did, he knew he would burst. Everything he had been hiding would come out and Thomas was positive he would say something he’d regret.

Breaking up was something Thomas never thought he’d consider. It was always Newt and Thomas to him. They belonged together and he really believed they were going to be with each other forever. Sure, it sounded like a little girl’s daydream, but that was how Thomas felt. Keyword, felt.

With Newt not being around, it didn’t feel like he was in a relationship anymore. It just felt like they were two strangers living under the same roof and sleeping in the same bed. Thomas can’t even remember the last conversation they had that lasted more than two minutes.

He heard Newt enter the bedroom, knocking on the door lightly. The door creaked open.

“Tommy?”

Thomas put down the wine glass onto the dresser and picked up the same photo frame he had been staring at. Turning around slowly, he faced Newt and showed him the photo.

“Do you remember when we took this picture?” Thomas asked softly.

Newt cautiously stepped into the room, looking at Thomas with concerned eyes.

“Have you been crying?” Newt questioned alarmingly as he removed his trench coat.

Of course he had been. Thomas had been doing that a lot more often. Every night he spent without Newt was a night when he would cry to sleep. By then, he had run out of tears. Without replying to the question, Thomas did a little laugh and smiled sadly down at the photo.

“The night we first moved in. I remember Minho telling us that we looked so cute together, it made him sick. He literally threw up hours later. That’s only because he was too drunk though. You know, he always said we’d be together forever. Said that we would have a cute gay little wedding and have cute gay little children,” Thomas recalled fondly.

Newt remained quiet, watching Thomas carefully as he put back the photo frame on the dresser.

“I used to think that too. Not really sure about it now,” the brunet said, his voice just above a whisper.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you ever think about it? Marriage?”

“You know I do,” Newt stepped forward towards Thomas, “we always said we’d get married.”

With a shake of his head, Thomas’s voice shook as he turned away from Newt.

“Why would we get married, Newt? We can’t even date properly anymore,” Thomas bitterly said.

“What in the bloody hell are you on about, Tommy?” Newt bewilderedly asked, looking quite offended by Thomas’s statement.

“Do you even realize this is the longest conversation we’ve had in weeks?” Thomas pointed out, “do you even know today is our anniversary?”

The blonde’s face contorted from one of confusion and annoyance to one of guilt and sadness.

“Shit. _Oh shit._ Tommy, I’m – “

“Sorry? You wanna say you’re sorry, right? For what? Forgetting our anniversary? Forgetting that we had a dinner reservation at that stupid restaurant you love? Not even saying ‘happy anniversary’ to me? What are you sorry for, Newt? Because so far, it just feels like you’re apologizing for stuff you don’t even care about anymore,” Thomas angrily said, feeling the buzz from the wine kick in.

Newt gaped at his boyfriend, blinking rapidly.

“What? I care, Tommy, I really do. It’s just, I have a million things to do at work and I can’t keep – “

“Work. That’s always your excuse,” Thomas almost scoffed, rolling his eyes slightly.

“Tommy. _You_ told me it was okay that I worked so much. _You_ said you _understood_ it. Why are you being such a twat about it now?” Newt accused as he glared at the taller brunet.

Twat? How could Newt call him that when he was the one who forgot about their anniversary? Thomas should be the one upset right  now, calling Newt every insult he knew under the sun.

“You forgot our anniversary! I don’t even see you anymore these days! Even at the rare times you’re home, you’re in the office doing work. It’s like work became your number one priority, not me.”

“Well, I’m sorry I can’t always put you in front of the business I owe,” Newt sarcastically apologized, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“You couldn’t even remember one stupid important day,” Thomas shot back, “seriously, it’s one day! You’re telling me you can’t even remember that one day?”

With an infuriating groan, Newt ran a hand through his hair roughly.

“I told you I was busy. I had like a million meetings today!”

“So was I, Newt. Are you forgetting that I’m a fucking doctor? I spend literally half my time at the hospital but I still come home to try and spend time with you. But you’re never even here!” Thomas countered.

“What do you want me to do, Tommy? Close down the gallery? Put all that work my parents invested into the business and just chuck it away? I can’t, Thomas. I can’t do that and I will never do that,” Newt snarled, “no matter how you feel about it, this is the most important thing in my life right now.”

That stung Thomas’s heart. It stung more than when Newt admitted he forgot about their anniversary. His heart felt like it was being stabbed by a million needles. Bile began to rise in his throat.

“What?” Thomas’s voice broke.

Newt started to realize what he just said and he sighed, rubbing his temples with his left hand.

“Listen, Thomas,” Newt tiredly said, “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“If you had to choose between us and the gallery, which would you pick?” Thomas questioned, his voice trembling and his eyes threatening to spill hot tears. He faced Newt, staring right into his eyes and boring holes into it. He needed to know.

When Newt didn’t reply, Thomas knew his answer. Newt broke the staring contest and looked down at his shoes, biting his lip harshly.

 How foolish was it of him to think that Newt still loved him? He had been so enveloped by his business, it was bound to happen.

“Okay,” Thomas tore his eyes away from Newt, “okay. I guess that’s how things are now.”

Newt kept quiet, although Thomas could see him start to cry from the side of his eyes.

“I think it’s best if we break up,” Thomas tried to keep his voice steady but failed.

He didn’t want to cry anymore. He had done that way too much already. Soundlessly, he grabbed his box of cigarettes and a lighter before walking out of the room. Thomas tried not to think about how Newt didn’t object when he pushed the balcony door open. He stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air. Closing his eyes, Thomas put his hands on the balcony and attempted to breathe properly.

His chest was getting tighter and tighter by the second. With a frustrated yell, he fumbled to get one of his cigarettes out of the box and shakily lit it with the lighter. Putting the stick in between his lips, he took a long puff.

After desperately inhaling and exhaling the smoke, Thomas managed to calm down his racing heart. What he was subsidized to now was a numb mess. He felt everything and nothing at the same time. He heard the balcony door slide open.

Newt stood beside him, his arm barely brushing against Thomas’s. Whenever Newt touched Thomas, he felt giddy with love. This time, he just felt hurt.

“I’m sorry.”

Thomas stayed silent.

“I love you. I always will but,” Newt paused, “I know I haven’t been there for you in so long. Hell, I bought a flat near the gallery and I’m there more than I’m here. It’s true, I’m never home and I haven’t actually talked to you in so long. I just don’t want to screw anything up with the gallery because my parents worked so hard for it. They’ve invested a lot of money to preserve important things. I’d feel horrible and so so bad if something bad happened to it. It’s a shitty excuse, I know. But it’s the only one I have. You deserve better than this shit I give you.”

Finally, Thomas allowed himself to break. He turned his head to face Newt as tears began to roll down his cheeks. Newt was crying too at this point, his own glassy eyes filled with unshed tears. Letting out a strangled sob, Newt leaned in and let Thomas rest his forehead against his.

Newt raised his head slightly, softly pressing his lips against Thomas’s. Desperately, Thomas dropped the cigarette he was holding and held onto Newt’s shoulders. They kissed slowly, both tasting the salty tears mingling together. Newt placed his hand on Thomas’s jaw, caressing his cheek softly. When they broke apart, Thomas sadly stared at the blonde. He licked his lips briefly.

“What do we do?” he whispered, making Newt sigh.

“Whatever you think is best. Maybe take a break from each other first, see how things go. If we work better away from each other,” Newt didn’t even want to finish his sentence.

“You won’t fight for this then?”

“I don’t think we’ll win. I think you know that,” he smiled sadly; “we had a good run though.”

Thomas tried to smile, but his entire being was hurting. He just wanted to stop this feeling, throw it into a box, lock it up and toss it into the deep sea. Maybe it was time to let go.

“I guess we did,” the brunet shrugged, repressing every memory running through his head.

“If you want, I’ll take all my things from this house and get them to my other flat as soon as I can. I can start now,” Newt suggested, feeling his stomach twist with sadness.

There was a tiny part in Thomas’s heart that didn’t want Newt to go yet. If this was the end for the two of them, he wanted at least one more night with the boy he loved.

“Stay. For one more night,” Thomas begged.

Newt heaved a sigh of relief. He leaned in to kiss a tear away from Thomas’s cheek.

“Okay.”

 

\--

 

Thomas woke up the next morning, noticing that the right side of the bed wasn’t warm.

He was gone.


End file.
